Dune Imperium | Shelfside Review
Рет қаралды 28,362
Күн бұрынA top 20 boardgamegeek euro worker placement with deck building, this is the Dune game that rates the highest among all the Dune tabletop board games! Dune Imperium incorporates a unique blend of buying cards to upgrade your deck alongside more standard meeple placement to gain resources. Those components matter a lot though, and players will constantly fight over spaces for their precious spice and water. The victory condition is simple: reach 10 points, but there's so many strategies to get there, and this review is going to cover all the mechanics that make this game so special... alongside the jank surrounding the rulebook.
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Games featured: Dominion, Dune Imperium: Rise of Ix
Table of Contents:
Intro - (0:00)
Overview - (0:30)
How to Play - (1:06)
Pros - (4:00)
Cons - (18:19)
Recommender Score - (29:04)
Daniel's Personal Score - (34:44)
Ashton's Personal Score - (39:23)
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#boardgames #tabletop #review
@Cecekcz 2 жыл бұрын
The imperium row, the cards that are available to be purchased, is supposed to be 5 cards. You guys have 6 in all of the footage. No idea how you got that idea, it literally says 5 everywhere. :D
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
oh shoot! Aaaah, thanks for clarifying that. We kept bouncing around 5 and 6 cards in our playthroughs, somehow the 6 number stuck. Have pinned your comment :) -Ashton
@jacobjslee Жыл бұрын
@@Shelfside 6 is better. We would not go back to 5.
@margaritoamargo6347 7 ай бұрын
@@Shelfside Clank is 6 cards. That just seems the right amount.
@WatchItPlayed 2 жыл бұрын
Great review - really enjoyed watching. This is one of my current favs. I hope you get a chance to try the expansion soon. I think you’ll like it!
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks Rodney! We're excited about the expansion too! Apparently it's hard to find at the moment though haha -Daniel
@fieryfirevivin 2 жыл бұрын
Love it when we see both Ashton and Daniels score in the review. You both bring your own charm to the video. Excellent work
@DoctorJack16 Ай бұрын
Another great review! Your channel is easily my rip 3 best board game channels! Thanks!
@warpo007 2 жыл бұрын
I'm putting 6 cards in my imperium row from now on. 1st class review and production. Massive.
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
ahahaha thanks, no need to put 6 cards in the row, 5 is definitely better ;) -Ashton
@fightingkitchen7960 2 жыл бұрын
17:25 that’s not the only thing that happens when you take control over a region, the rules also say, “When a Conflict card is revealed for a space that you already control, you receive a defensive bonus: you may deploy one troop from your supply to the Conflict.”.
@fightingkitchen7960 2 жыл бұрын
Oh wait, I think you already mentioned it on the cons section…
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
@@fightingkitchen7960 ahaha no problem, we kinda fiddle with rules all the time here :) -Ashton
@fightingkitchen7960 2 жыл бұрын
@@Shelfside Ok.
@brence1984 2 жыл бұрын
I normally tease my more euro-minded brethern, however this one… this one just nailed it! Theme is nicely added and the game has so many options to get to your final goal! Got IX in and hoping to play next week. Then lets hope there’s another expansion on the horizon :).
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
Awesome, we got Ix too! Hoping to get the review out to you guys soon :) -Ashton
@NickCadmium 8 ай бұрын
First video I've watched on your channel. Really enjoyed it. Great stuff. Subbed.
@muppetjoe870 Жыл бұрын
Great review guys! Loving your channel ☺️
@Shelfside Жыл бұрын
cheers! Hopefully we get to cover then 2nd expansion one day -Ashton
@garyspartan67 Жыл бұрын
Excellent detailed review. Subbed!
@keanus9871 2 жыл бұрын
I got the game a few weeks ago, and I'm glad someone else also noticed all the silica bags!
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
I honestly can't remember the last time I got a game that came with silica bags! Can't really complain much, sure it helps all of those wooden pieces a bit -Ashton
@comicgreen 8 ай бұрын
The intro was hilarious. Didn’t expect the movie intro x McDo mashup 😂
@emanuelsantiago6734 2 жыл бұрын
Great in depth review, im hoping you also review rise of Ix expansion
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
cheers! As soon as we get our hands on it, we're going headfirst into a review :) -Ashton
@blackholelily1388 Жыл бұрын
Man your videos are awesome .....underrated
@mightyted1 2 жыл бұрын
Nice review! One of my favorite games. The location control rewards are marked by the flag icon in the first place slot of the conflict cards. Not sure if you missed that. I like this channel. Ashton has good taste in games. Brass B is my favorite game.
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
Thank you! Yep, location control rewards are there, just a teensy bit more subtle than we would like, very minor nitpick of course :) Cheers! See ya around -Ashton
@Scooterspade 2 жыл бұрын
@28:58 you actually captured the troublesome look of your friend having the Plans within Plans Intrigue card :)
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
aaaand he actually won that game LOL, playing Baron Harkonnen. Funny how it works out. -Ashton
@ManFromTheFizz 2 жыл бұрын
I believe the biggest problem with ALL of Shelfside's reviews, which continues to irk me for all eternity, is all the friends they have that support them in their hobby and are enthusiastic to actually play board games with them :(((((((((((((((((((((((
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
mmm, good comment! A LOT of people we hang out with have little to no interest in playing anything bigger than party board games ahaha. But we have definitely roped in a few of our friends over the years! -Ashton
@danewiskow3680 2 жыл бұрын
One of my favorite board games! I love the movie and I am now reading the book!
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
awesome! Yeah the book writing style is a little funky to get into at first IMO, but when it starts going, is so hype! 4th book is the best! -Ashton
@tobyyasutake9094 2 жыл бұрын
Did... did you just say "Gene Besserit?"
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
honestly I've heard so many variations of those two words at this point I get confused which one is real -Ashton
@Madnetz 2 жыл бұрын
Been waiting for this one :3 Really did not expect the takenoko compression, haven't really gotten to the point of counting cards in the intrigue deck yet myself but I have taken note of how few endgame cards there actually are. I mainly play solo, and before I started using the app I always cycled the imperium row, I think I heared it reffered to as "sandworm variant", the app does add some cards that will remove two cards from the row to keep it flowing and less predictable, I think that was a good utilization of a digital tool. On the note of deckbuilding, have you played Dale of Merchants? Considering swapping dominion for it in my personal collection.
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
'sandworm variant' love the sound of that. The Takenoko especially surprised me, just played Takenoko recently on BGA and felt those small card feeling of changing your strategy hit decently. Haven't played dale of merchants, dominion is hot on our radar for the next expansion though! -Ashton
@revimfadli4666 Жыл бұрын
Dale of Merchants is a great example of how to prevent the clogginess of Ascension-style markets(via elegant cost structure & minimum buying power). Contrast with Dune: Imperium's "archaic" market
@merck__ 2 жыл бұрын
I recently got the Oceania wingspan expansion, which really helped open up more interaction, at least in the one play through we had. I'd be curious if y'all played it and if you found it improved the experience.
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
oh man, that's not gonna be anytime soon for us, our group really doesn't like wingspan ;) -Ashton
@MacGameCastVideo 2 жыл бұрын
What are those wooden token holders you have on the table? Looks like little magnets on the side. Would like a link/name thanks! Also, great review. Cheers.
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
They're Wyrmwood tabletop tiles! You can find them on their website :) We have the dark walnut one. Cheers! -Ashton
@thecaryou 3 ай бұрын
Just played this one. It is really interesting and fun. Really does not look like much but I was wrong on impression.
@Cronos804 2 жыл бұрын
Saw all the Ashes expansions on the background ;)
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
So good! Still need to play all of them :) -Ashton
@Scooterspade 2 жыл бұрын
oh and Paul Dennen is the creative designer of Clank! so thats why its innovative since his deckbuilding expertise is suddenly merged with worker placement
@sebastienvivas9319 2 жыл бұрын
Lord Daniel becomes wiser with each passing year.
@arjunant9930 2 жыл бұрын
New member? Great things are ahead! You guys should think about doing some more casual type vids like the dice tower does where you just talk about like your top ten or a new game you guys have played. Just an idea
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
This has inspired me to make something like that! Gonna get it rolling soon -Ashton
@arjunant9930 2 жыл бұрын
@@ShelfsideGreat I cant wait to see it. Also that's weird, I meant to comment on the how to pick a boardgames to play video...
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
@@arjunant9930 all good, I understand the jist :) -Ashton
@alexanderjuliano2548 2 ай бұрын
I am a huge fan of the Hieghliner Space... except out of all my plays, it usually gets trumped somehow lmao
@Lengytam 2 жыл бұрын
+1 point for the authentic american Sardaukar theme song at 15:00 :D
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
hamburrrrrger cheeeeeeeseburger
@fightingkitchen7960 2 жыл бұрын
I have 2 questions: 1. Would you recommend this game even if I mostly play it with 2 players, commonly solo, & about 25% to 10% 3 players? 2. This game has been compared with Lost ruins of arnak, it seems pretty cool & I was just wondering if you will do a review of it soon.
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
1. I don't think its great at 2 players, but certainly not that bad either. For the greatest tension in the faction track though, you want at least 3 people. The bot just doesn't do a great job of replicating it. Same idea goes for solo play, the game works, but the bots just don't substitute humans. 2. Heard that comparison so many times too! No plans to review Arnak anytime soon, but planning on reviewing the expansion to Imperium down the line! -Ashton
@fightingkitchen7960 2 жыл бұрын
@@Shelfside Yeah! Just a warning, I don’t think Daniel will like Arnak that much though since it has (I think) less interaction than Dune Imperium.
@lucaframba3730 2 жыл бұрын
Holy, dune imperium!! One of my favorite games. I added an house rule after the second game. Basically the imperium row consists of 2 rows of 5 cards (10 cards total). Every time a card is bought all the cards to it's right slide to the left "fillng the spot" and the new card drew from the deck goes to the right spot of the column. After every combat we trash the 2 cards of the left of the row (which should be the least interesting, because no1 bought them) and they get replaced. This offers an actual choiche in deck building by providing more cards and by rotating them. If you try this version let me know if you found it better or worse. I hated the idea of having to build a deck and to make obliged choiches.. if I have to build my deck, I need more choiche! (Just noticed that 10 cards is like dominion, so might have hit the sweet spot without even knowing it 😆)
@lystic9392 2 жыл бұрын
I'll give it a shot when it hits the table again.
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
I really like that! I would probably have 8, and fill the spots just like you said! Will have to try that after our blitz playthrough! -Ashton
@kurlykrenins 2 жыл бұрын
Yo this sounds so cool, will definitely try it. Cheers
@revimfadli4666 Жыл бұрын
Sounds like a great idea, even Copycat did it back then. I wonder why the original rules kept the "cloggy market" rules artifact from Clank and Ascension The designer does seem to underestimate how much sources of randomness can limit their own means of mitigation
@maragarza 11 ай бұрын
omg, you're so funny!! love the review!!
@Shelfside 11 ай бұрын
haha thanks, glad to see ya here :D -Ashton
@Cecekcz 2 жыл бұрын
Gene Besserit, oh boy.
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
Ahaha at some point I got confused saying it out loud -Ashton
@pdftransferjr 2 жыл бұрын
@@Shelfside Gene Besserit made my day! Keep up the great reviews!
@TheOldMan-75 2 жыл бұрын
I personally like games with a strong connection between theme and mechanics. The first thing I look out for in any game with cards is what these cards actually do. Dune is sadly one of many games where cards are basically just a random thing from the theme paired with a random ability. It's like making a Star Trek game, naming a card "Captain Picard" and having that card give you "+3 to Warp Speed". It's just random stuff mixed together.
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
Fair! I have my mind still tingled by firm grip, and sardaukar legion, but the thematic connection is still pretty weak overall. Cheers! -Ashton
@life09m Жыл бұрын
Paul literally has an ability that lets him see into the future ? The top card of his deck ? Sounds pretty thematic for me . The spacing guild spaces allow one of the the largest supply of troops into your garrison and into combat . sounds about right with the books ? The art in the cards and board are bland imo too tho
@veljkoagatonovic4929 2 жыл бұрын
I delayed trying out this game since visually it was so underwhelming for me given the Dune title. Looked so bland and not interesting. Boy, don't judge book by its cover. Game is easy to learn, fun, tense, great strategy, ease of play...Loved this game!
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
exactly right!? I was in the same exact boat. Didn't particularly seem like a worker placement that was stood out- but man does the card play come in GOOD. Everyone that I have showed it to so far (including non-gamers who don't know anything on dune) has requested to play again! -Ashton
@Dusty-Zafu 2 жыл бұрын
The deluxe component upgrade is great. Check it out
@Redlady1917 2 жыл бұрын
Dune 2019 is awesome! Hampered by a bad rulebook so the BGG forums help with their updated compilations, but one of the best games of all time.
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
ahaha for sure a super unique game! Incredibly thematic with even that shield wall exploding! -Ashton
@fightingkitchen7960 2 жыл бұрын
11:37 I don’t know if the reverse “ bene gesserit “ was intentional or not but it was funny.
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
ahaha was intentional, but while playing we ended up reversing it accidentally all the time -Ashton
@fightingkitchen7960 2 жыл бұрын
@@Shelfside Oh, 😆
@CoachKim93 2 жыл бұрын
Have you guys played Lost ruins of Arnak? :)
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
have not! It's been tempting me on BGA, one day! -Ashton
@thomasb7237 2 жыл бұрын
Which do you like to play more? Imperium or Conquest?
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
Great question- they fill totally different feelings so it is a little tricky to compare. Dune Imperium is a much more epic feeling game, with a little more predictable game states with the faction tracks and conflict rewards. It feels more like a game I would normally find myself playing. It has an actual engine with the deckbuilding, conflicts feel tense, and the theme hits harder for me. Yet, Dune Conquest is something that resets my brain into: "Oh, this is just pure interactive fun, while still being a thematic game!". Conquest is awesome because I can play with pretty much anyone and have them be very involved- I can play with all sorts of non-boardgamer friends. Hope this helped! -Ashton
@trooper6762 2 жыл бұрын
"Cheeseburger" "Bigmac" hahaha xD
@jordannielsen8844 3 ай бұрын
Be interested in your guys thoughts on Uprising! 🙂
@enricodedonato8529 2 жыл бұрын
Excellent review, maybe I just do not agree with the idea that the game doesn't offer enough interaction and that it becomes clear after a while who is going to win. Instead I think that, although this game is quite skill based, in a competent table it can be pretty swingy, hence you might be countering the opponent that you think has the highest chance of ammassing 10 VP only to find out that another can use a set of intrigue cards to get from 2 to 3 victory points and finish it with a spice must flow(base game only, I have not tested Rise of Ix yet). Actually I think that if this game was competitive as MTG for instance, some cards and leaders should be banned because of how unpredictable and OP they can be. When it comes I personally think that the early game in the base game is broken, starting first or second in turn 1 is too important to secure the extra agent and I find the deckbuilding market too unreliable to invest in the great council early, but it is true that I have mostly played in a 3 player configuration.
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for sharing this! I also agree that the game has a surprising large amount of interaction. Lots of crazy swings with how points are tallied, and yep, also agree that some of the leaders can be downright broken in the right setting, but hey, this isn't a tournament after all ahaha. Haven't ran into your 1st or 2nd turn 'brokeness' at 3p, but will have to give it a go! Super excited for rise of IX, can't wait to review it! -Ashton
@grog3514 2 жыл бұрын
I want to know Ashton's top 20 games.
@amorphousblob6105 2 жыл бұрын
How cold is it in your house Bruh?!? You are wearing outdoor clothes. Great video by the way. I agree this game is da bomb!
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
House is real real cold, and that room is especially cold! Cheers man, game is awesome! -Ashton
@gameofstones6560 2 жыл бұрын
Great review! I thought the board artwork could be a little more vibrant and the card store can stagnate as you mentioned but otherwise pretty fun! 7.5/10 for me
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
Cheers! The board is pretty basic for sure, but gets the job done! That darn imperium row never has what I need! -Ashton
@EfrainRiveraJunior 2 жыл бұрын
Seems like a great game.
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
highly recommend if you like dune and/or euros! cheers! -Ashton
@daem0nfaust 2 жыл бұрын
I don't know why, but I'm craving for cheeseburger now. Like, really deeply wanting cheeseburger.
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
gotta feed those sardaukar soldiers
@daem0nfaust 2 жыл бұрын
@@Shelfside heard that the local Fremen-N-Out has some spicy ones.
@jiritsu0 2 жыл бұрын
Note the time of death by laughter at 14:56 - 15:08. If only there would have been a warning.
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
cheeseburgeeerrr
@Cronos804 2 жыл бұрын
0:52 For wonderfull players
@bernardorippe7024 2 жыл бұрын
The worm card only gives you a poor victory point when you buy the card :/
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
If you're talking about the spice must flow, yeah that's basically it, but man do those VP stack up if you have guild bankers :) -Ashton
@flowinsounds Жыл бұрын
Helena Richese is totally OP. won by 6 points over everyone else using her
@VuNguyen-uc7xe 2 жыл бұрын
Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger, Cheeseburger!!!! LOL great review!
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
ahaha stop, you're making me hungry -Ashton
@simonb4689 2 жыл бұрын
Best game ever
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
Rise of ix hurry up and get hereeee
@TheErnieforss 2 жыл бұрын
Now review ruins of arnak! And have fun trading your resources for more points and more resources.
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
Now wait a second, that doesn't sound like a great sell as you describe it :) We haven't played it, not sure if we'll review it! Perhaps will give a spin on BGA one day -Ashton
@TheErnieforss 2 жыл бұрын
@@Shelfside its fun. I like it more than dune. Ruins feels more rewarding than getting one or maybe 2 vp on a turn. Also dune has that the ending when you're like "ok i got 10 points, so i won unless someone objects and can get 3 points right now" ending. Ruins more feels like everdell. Like i get this resource, now i can trade it for this resource, which can then unlock this place, and that gives me points and more resources. And at the end you're like "i don't know who won. Grab a pen and paper and tally our points!"
@tylerrapillo377 2 жыл бұрын
All of these new Dune games are getting a bit confusing!
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
we playing dune?
@tylerrapillo377 2 жыл бұрын
@@Shelfside Only if we can play some dune after!
@Frankie-the-Tankie Жыл бұрын
Just got exposed to your channel and if you both personally are giving the game a 7 and 8, how does the "combined" score get a 9? Any background on where that is coming from would be great. Thank you :)
@Shelfside Жыл бұрын
Recommender score isn't a combined score, it's how well we think the game does what it says it is, and in this case, Dune Imperium is a damn good worker placement deck builder -Daniel
@BobbyJuno Жыл бұрын
Lmao @15:00
@codynolove8850 2 жыл бұрын
The only Dune board game that truly encapsulates Dune is definitely Dune 2019
@RhiannaAtriedes 2 жыл бұрын
Definitely agree
@MrMIMI9731 2 жыл бұрын
Preach!!!
@tyleryoung3158 Жыл бұрын
Ashton, you're wearing what looks like 2 shirts, a sweater, a jacket, and a hat. How cold is it in your place? Are you okay? Do you need help?
@Shelfside Жыл бұрын
ahahaha. It gets pretty chilly in that room during the winter, gotta bundle up! -Ashton
@thereal4579 2 жыл бұрын
I don't disagree with most your negatives, but really, you complain about a square rulebook, you look like bad c-list infomercial acting to try and sell the complaint lol. Also, who cares that's its not a "true" deck builder. That shouldn't be a complaint, its just a different method to take actions. It can be restrictive, but that's all the more reason to hone your focus and strategy, so you more consistently draw the cards that work for you. I do agree the market is limiting and a cycle rule may alleviate that issue. i also agree some of the player powers are a bit underwhelming. Overall, I feel your negatives were a bit of a stretch or non-issues IMO. But otherwise, great video, always appreciate your reviews.
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
Thanks for sharing! The square rulebook is certainly more of a nitpick :) The 'true' deckbuilding isn't the issue- its more of where the market limits that can make the game too stagnate for some. Phenomenal game overall though! Cheers! -Ashton
@thereal4579 2 жыл бұрын
@@Shelfside I agree
@TheSchaef47 Жыл бұрын
I just use the app for solo play. It makes the whole thing brainless.
@demonicbunny3po 7 ай бұрын
Hmm… I would be willing to play this, but after watching this review… I don’t think I would go out of my way to get it to the table. I think I would rather just play a more standard euro than this one. Something like Viticulture.
@turbo2tone 2 жыл бұрын
Gave my copy away Pretty bland worker placement.
@wh3elson 2 жыл бұрын
What are some good ones?
@dgeci 2 жыл бұрын
Sorry to say but the art being taken from the movie ... using the face of actual actors, is a BIG letdown for me. It breaks immersion. The same way like having Keanu Reeves in cyberpunk is annoying for many people. SO I wont be playing this game. Too bad...
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
This game had it abstracted enough for me, with a bit of art done, whereas Dune Conquest was straight screenshots that was even more unsettling. At least the expansion faction art is totally new in Dune Imperium! -Ashton
@dgeci 2 жыл бұрын
@@Shelfside I'll have another look :). Thanks for the reply.
@MichaelBomholt 2 жыл бұрын
didn't like this game at all, it felt like three partial games that came together to make something less than the sum of their parts.
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
that's fair! Thanks for sharing! -Ashton
@yanmartins7935 4 ай бұрын
Wow. He really is a hardcore ameri trasher 😂
@NATOnova 2 жыл бұрын
Been playing this with the expansion on tabletop simulator and I'm hooked. Great depth, variability, meaningful choices, and like the theme as well since I loved the movie
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
Oh man, even more hyped for the expansion then! Theme really coming through for me because of the movie too. Love the art style! -Ashton
@NATOnova 2 жыл бұрын
@@Shelfside I haven't played without the expansion, but it seems like it balances the game more, the new worker placement spots are way more interesting and possibly better than the replaces spots, and more cards and characters elevates it as well. So IMO expansion seems like a quasi must buy. Unfortunately it's out of stock and I think still kind of expensive
@Shelfside 2 жыл бұрын
@@NATOnova well we are 100% buying it for sure ahaha. Game already has very good replayability as is, can't wait to get my hands on the new cards/factions though -Ashton
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